The Cherokee use cane for making traditional baskets, flutes, arrows and blowguns.
A native rivercane (Arundinaria gigantea) restoration project, lead by Naturalist, Joe Townsend, is now under way at the Historic Hagood Mill and Folklife Center in Pickens County.
Once an important part of the Southeastern ecosystem, canebrakes (cane thickets) have mostly disappeared from the landscape due to agricultural practices and livestock grazing. All that remains of once extensive canebrakes are remnant patches of cane that cling to the banks along some of our streams and creeks.
Canebrakes were once an important source of cover and browse for many diverse species. These species included bear, white-tail deer, wild turkey, Swainson’s warbler, the extinct passenger pigeon, and now extirpated bison and elk. Some butterfly species use rivercane as their host plant, including the Creole pearly eye, southern pearly eye and several skippers.
Cane was also an important material for many southeastern Native American cultures as well. The Cherokee, to this day, continue to use cane for making traditional baskets, flutes, arrows and blowguns.
A remnant stand of rivercane was recently discovered growing in the flood plain on the bank of Hagood Mill Creek (A.K.A. Jennings Creek) at Hagood Mill. Though no longer abundant, it is hoped that if the rivercane restoration is successful, cane could be sustained and harvested for use by traditional artisans. With proper management, luck and patience we hope to restore a canebrake and recover a neglected part of our ecosystem as well as our heritage.
The Hagood Mill Site is home to many well established indigenous plant, vine, and tree communities. To support such projects and to better promote the diversity of plants and wildlife at the Hagood Mill, a variety of workshops and classes are conducted by paid professional instructors in numerous fields. All profit from this program, along with designated donations will go to sustain the Mill Site Nature Conservation Plan. Our main goal from this program is three-fold: 1) To preserve and protect the Native Plants currently growing on site. 2) Establish a propagation and plant rescue plan for the mill site. 3) Establish field school style workshops & classes as a method to fund the project and simultaneously reach new audiences while promoting the natural history preservation of our area. For a list of upcoming classes contact the museum at (864) 898-5963 or visit www.pickenscountymuseum.org and click on events. To register for any class please contact the museum.
By Allen Coleman with the Pickens County Museum.
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